Before the Double Date
by kenziescott54
Summary: It's all okay when you have your best friend. Written for the second stage of the Triwizard Tournament. Warning: slightly ooc Harry & Hermione.
**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter.**

 **Apologies for the clunkiness of this. It isn't my best, I know, but I was in a hurry.**

* * *

 _Part I_

"Harry?" Hermione called, knocking on the door of her friend's flat. "Harry! I know you're in there."

The door opened a crack and Harry peered out at her, glasses askew and hair wild. "What on earth do you want?" he demanded. "I'm trying to be miserable and lonely."

"We could be miserable together," Hermione suggested, holding up the bottle of goblin made wine she'd brought with her for him to see.

Harry looked from her to the wine. "Are you trying to cheer me up? Really, Hermione, I appreciate it, but I don't feel like being cheerful. Can't you just let me lie here among the dirty plates and stinking socks a little longer?"

"You're in luck," said Hermione. "I haven't come to cheer you up, I've come to be miserable with you. Hence, the wine."

Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "Seriously? What's wrong?"

"Let me in and I'll tell you," said Hermione, gesturing towards the door with the bottle.

With a sigh, Harry swung his door open and stepped back, letting Hermione enter the room. She wrinkled her nose slightly. "You weren't kidding about the stinky socks."

"Yeah, well, you were the one who chose to just...barge in here," said Harry, unapologetically. "Be very aware that the only reason I let you in is because you have alcohol. Please, have a seat."

Hermione nudged a stack of newspapers off a chair and sank into it while Harry rummaged in his kitchen for two wineglasses. He eventually returned with a bowl and an empty jam jar.

"Which one?" he asked, holding them out to Hermione.

"The bowl, I suppose," Hermione said, smiling a little.

Harry took the bottle from her and, after struggling to open it, poured them both a generous amount. "Wow," he said, tilting it slightly to look at the label. "This is the good stuff,"

"1970, real goblin-made Goldmeade," Hermione answered with a nod.

"So what's going on?" asked Harry, sinking into the chair opposite Hermione's. "I mean, I know why I'm drinking. But why are _you_ drinking?"

"Because I'm lonely and depressed," answered Hermione. "Just like you."

"But you've been lonely and depressed for three years," said Harry, frowning. "I've been lonely and depressed for a _week_."

"I have not been lonely and depressed for three years!" Hermione protested. "I mean, yeah, that's when Ron and I broke up...exactly three years ago today...but most of the time, I'm independent and strong and all that. But, you know, every now and then I feel a little down."

"Ah, I see," said Harry, after a moment. "I remember last year around this time, you came into my flat while Ginny and I were having dinner and you were bawling."

"I wasn't bawling!" Hermione protested again. "I was...upset. Specific dates are a big deal for me, and Ron and I happened to break up on the third anniversary of the day that we kissed for the first time. Today is the third anniversary of our break-up, _and_ the sixth anniversary of that kiss, which means that the memories are all rather depressing."

"I remember the first time you kissed," Harry said with a frown, "and it certainly wasn't in the middle of March, it was May 2nd, the day of the battle."

"No, that was the first you _knew_ about," Hermione corrected.

"Whatever," said Harry, dismissing this new piece of information with a wave of his jar. "I don't wanna hear about it right now."

Hermione shook her head. "Really, we're pathetic."

"No, you're pathetic," Harry corrected, with a tilt of his head. "You're mourning a breakup that happened three years ago. Ginny left me last week. I win."

Hermione glared at him.

"You know, I could have sworn for the last few months that things were off between you and Ginny," she remarked.

"What are you saying?" asked Harry. "I mean, yeah, Ginny and I were always rocky, but we'd never _broken up_ before. This is the first time."

"And the last, if I know Ginny at all," said Hermione. "But what I meant was, this breakup didn't come out of the blue. You two were just...out of sync."

"How do you women notice these things?" asked Harry, shaking his head. "I didn't know she was going to dump me, if that's what you're suggesting."

"No, but even I could tell things weren't the same between you two."

Harry shrugged. "Ginny and I have been dating since we were sixteen and seventeen. We were completely different people then, so it stands to reason that things would change, and that our relationship would be one of those things."

Hermione nodded. "We've all grown up," she agreed. After a pause, she asked, "Really, Harry, how are you?"

Harry fingered his jar. "I dunno," he answered quietly. "Maybe you're right and Ginny and I did fall out of love a while ago, but still...I really miss her, you know? Every now and then I walk into the kitchen thinking she's going to be there, or I wake up and she's not next to me, and it just...hurts."

Hermione nodded, reaching for the bottle. "Trust me, that isn't going to go away anytime soon."

Harry rolled his eyes at her. "I thought you were meant to be making me feel better."

"Who said that? I certainly didn't," Hermione said. "I'm told you, I'm here because misery loves company."

"Since when did we become _these_ people?" Harry grumbled. "The people who become complete losers because someone dumped us?"

"We aren't those people," Hermione said firmly. "We're just having a bad day."

They sat in silence for a while, each taking a sip now and then.

"I talked to Ron the other day," Harry remarked, looking carefully at her as he said this.

"Great," she said flatly.

"Hermione, it's been three years. Can't you at least stop by to say hello or something? He misses you."

"You mean stop by to say hello to him and his fiance and their adorable baby girl? I think I'll take a pass. Oh, don't give me that look!" she added, glaring at him sharply. "Yes, I'm over Ron, but don't you think it would be awkward if the single ex-girlfriend just dropped by on her old flame's post-baby bliss?"

Harry blew out his breath. "I wasn't giving you a look. At least tell me you're going to the wedding."

"Maybe you and I should be each other's dates to the wedding, since everyone thinks we're together anyway," said Hermione. "Then I could pretend I had a boyfriend and it wouldn't be awkward."

"That's a terrible idea," said Harry, raising an eyebrow at her. "If you need a pretend boyfriend, it shouldn't be me. Can you imagine what _Witch Weekly_ would have to say about that? They'd say that you broke me and Ginny up. No thanks."

"I was joking," said Hermione crossly.

"Then you're more drunk than I thought, because that wasn't funny at all."

"But that's not a bad idea," said Hermione.

"What isn't?" asked Harry apprehensively. "I thought we established that fake dating _was_ a bad idea."

"No, having a pretend boyfriend for Ron's wedding."

"Yes it is," said Harry. "It's a bad idea and you know it. Plus, it's rather juvenile. There's no reason for you to feel ashamed of being single."

"At the wedding of my only serious boyfriend?"

"Everyone knows that you and Ron are long over. And you've dated since then."

"I haven't dated anyone seriously," said Hermione, refilling her bowl, "as _Charmed!_ likes to tell people whenever they mention Ron."

"No one takes _Charmed!_ seriously," said Harry. "That tabloid's full of crap."

"The point is," said Hermione, "I want a date for the wedding, and since you don't want to go with me, I want you to find someone to take me."

Harry groaned. "Really? Why me?"

"Because I trust you - and also because I'm going to find _you_ a date for the wedding."

"We should talk about this when you're sober," said Harry, looking from the bottle to Hermione.

"Oh, come off it," she said. "Like you aren't buzzed."

"I haven't even finished my first glass - well, jar, I mean," said Harry. "And you're way past buzzed. You must be really depressed, you never drink this much."

"So will you do it?" Hermione asked. "Find me a date for the wedding?"

"Hermione, I really don't think that's a -"

"It's your choice," said Hermione, as if she hadn't heard him, "as long as you choose to say yes."

Harry stared at her and heaved a sigh. "As I've said about three times now, I think this is a terrible idea. But if you really have your heart set on it, I suppose I'll say yes."

"Good choice," said Hermione, reaching for the bottle again, but Harry intercepted it. "You still have to Apparate home, my dear friend," he said. "You should probably slow down."

"Whatever," said Hermione, with a wave of her hand. "I'm taking that as a binding promise, you know. We're doing this double date thing."

Harry sighed.

"Whatever you say, Hermione."

 _Part II_

"You know," grumbled Harry, as Hermione straightened his tie, "the only reason I agreed to this is because I thought you'd come to your senses when you were sober. I hate blind dates."

"Everyone says that," said Hermione lightly. "But what they really mean is that they hate _bad_ blind dates."

"All blind dates are bad."

"Not all of them."

Harry sighed as Hermione tried to smooth out his hair. "Leave that alone," he said. "You know it won't lay down. Seriously, are you going to be okay?"

Hermione paused at his suddenly serious tone. "What do you mean?"

"You haven't seen Ron since you two broke up, and you're taking a blind date to his wedding."

Hermione took a step back from him. "I know I was upset and drunk a couple of months ago when we agreed to this, but honestly Harry, I really am fine."

"All right," said Harry, smiling. "I just wanted to make sure."

She smiled back, reaching for her jacket. "Thanks, Harry. And what about you? Ginny will be there, you know."

Harry frowned, fiddling with his jacket. "It'll be...awkward," he admitted. "But hey, I'll have you, won't I?"

"Of course," said Hermione, walking into Harry's bathroom to style her hair. "And I'll have you. That's what best friends are for."

"Funny," Harry commented, leaning against the wall outside the bathroom door, "how almost everything has changed since you and Ron broke up...except us. You and me."

Hermione grinned, looking at herself in the mirror. "You'll be stuck with me as your best friend and your wingman for the rest of your life, Harry. Get over it already."

Harry smiled in return.

"For the rest of my life," he echoed slowly.

If Hermione had heard him, she might have been surprised at the look in Harry's eyes and the softer tone in his voice. But she didn't; and when she stepped out of the bathroom a second later, Harry's face and voice were completely normal as he asked,

"Ready?"

"Absolutely," said Hermione. "Let's do this double date."

* * *

Prompt: A Harry&Hermione friendship story kind of thing. Harry fixes up Hermione up with someone and Hermione fixes Harry up with someone, and they go on a double date. For pairings... no Ron/Harry, Ron/Hermione, Draco/Harry, Draco/Hermione, Snape/Harry, or Snape/Hermione. The pairing romance can be major or minor, but the friendship between Harry and Hermione should play a big role in the story.


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